THE JERK WHO STOLE MY HEART

Chapter 1 - The Prank

Sa isang pribadong paaralan na St. Claire High School sa bayan ng Villa Caridad, ang pangalan ni Samantha Cruz De Vera ay laging may kasamang mga salitang "top of the class," "perfect daughter," at "student leader." Hinahangaan siya ng kaniyang mga kaeskwela, palagi siyang pinupuri ng kaniyang mga guro, at kahit ang janitor ay kadalasang nagt-thumbs up sa tuwing dumadaan siya. Talagang kilalang-kilala siya sa buong campus. She was hardworking, responsible, and known for her dedication to her studies. Kung may motto si Samantha, iyon siguro ang: “Kapag may tiyaga, may tagumpay.”

But there was one person who didn’t seem to get the memo: Josh Lucas Lopez Lizares.

Lucas was the complete opposite of Samantha. Kung siya ay maayos at planado ang bawat kilos, si Lucas ay parang hangin -- hindi mo mahuhulaan ang direksyon. He was notorious for his pranks, earning him the reputation of being the school’s most annoying troublemaker. To Samantha, Lucas wasn’t just a thorn in her side. He was a full-blown cactus.

It was Monday morning, and Samantha was more prepared than ever for her oral report in Literature. She had spent the entire weekend researching and rehearsing in front of her younger brother, who had dramatically pretended to fall asleep just to annoy her.

“This is my moment,” she thought to herself as she clutched her neatly written cue cards. “Walang makakagulo sa presentation ko ngayon.”

As soon as she entered the classroom, Samantha could feel the buzzing energy of her classmates. Everyone was chatting, scrolling through their phones, or sneaking bites of snacks they weren't supposed to have in class. And then there was Lucas -- leaning casually against the back wall, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

Hindi na siya nagulat nang makita ito. She had learned to ignore him, just as one learns to ignore an irritating fly that always buzzes near your ear.

“Alright, class, settle down!” Mrs. Recto’s voice cut through the chatter. “Samantha, you’re up first. Please come to the front.”

Huminga nang malalim si Sam bago tumayo at buong kompeyansang naglakad patungo sa gitna ng silid-aralan. She carefully set her cue cards on the podium and adjusted the microphone.

“Good morning, classmates and Ma’am Recto. Today, I will be discussing the symbolism in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere…”

At the back of the room, Lucas was already plotting. He had been waiting for this moment all weekend. With a quick glance at his friend Paolo, he gave a subtle nod. Paolo grinned and slid his hand under the desk, pressing a button.

Suddenly, a loud beep-beep-beep sound erupted from the speakers in the room.

Samantha froze mid-sentence. The sound was obnoxiously loud, like an alarm clock that refused to be turned off.

“What in the world?” Mrs. Recto exclaimed, glaring at the audio-visual booth.

The class erupted into laughter, but Samantha didn’t move. Her cheeks turned bright red, and she clutched the sides of the podium.

“Okay, class, settle down!” Mrs. Recto said, trying to restore order.

Lucas, who was pretending to be just as confused as everyone else, raised his hand. “Ma’am, baka po si Samantha ‘yan. Baka ‘di lang siya marunong gumamit ng microphone!”

Mas tumindi pa ang tawanan ng buong klase. Pakiramdam ni Samantha ay bumuka ang sahig na kitatayuan niya at nilamon siya niyon nang buo.

As the sound finally stopped, Sam took another deep breath. Focus, she told herself. Ipinagpatuloy niya ang kaniyang presentation, determinado siyang tapusin iyon.

“Symbolism plays an important role in Noli Me Tangere. For example, the use of the character Sisa—”

Before she could finish her sentence, the projector screen behind her lit up with a photo. A very unflattering photo of Samantha mid-yawn, taken during lunch last week.

The class exploded with laughter once more.

“Lucas!” Mrs. Recto yelled, slamming her palm on the desk. “Lizares, stop this nonsense!”

Lucas raised both hands in mock innocence. “Ma’am, wala po akong alam diyan!”

But everyone knew it was him. Who else would have the guts -- or the audacity -- to pull off such a prank?

Nanginig ang mga kamay ni Samantha habang nakatitig siya sa nakahihiyang larawan niya na nasa screen. Her vision blurred with tears, but she blinked them away, refusing to cry in front of her classmates.

“Ma’am,” she said quietly, “can I redo my presentation tomorrow?”

Bumuntong-hininga si Mrs. Recto. “Alright, Samantha. You may sit down. Lizares, sa Principal’s Office ka mamaya!” may halong pagbabantang pahayag ng guro habang pasimple nitong pinandidilatan ng mga mata si Lucas na nagkibit-balikat lang na parang walang nangyari. But he couldn’t help glancing at Samantha, who didn’t look at him as she returned to her seat, her head held high despite the obvious humiliation.

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Samantha. Every hallway she walked down seemed to echo with whispers and giggles.

“Grabe 'yong prank ni Lucas kanina!”

“Kawawa naman si Samantha.”

By lunchtime, she couldn’t take it anymore. Tila rinding-rindi na siya sa bulong-bulungang paulit-ulit niyang naririnig. So, she found a quiet corner in the library and buried her face in her hands.

“Why does he hate me so much?” she whispered to herself. Ramdam pa rin niya ang panggigigil at labis na galit dahil sa pangbu-bully ni Lucas

But Lucas didn’t hate her. In fact, he hated himself a little for making her look so hurt. What nobody knew was that Josh Lucas Lopez Lizares had been harboring a crush on Samantha Cruz De Vera since freshman year. And pulling pranks? It was his twisted way of getting her attention.

But this time, he knew he had gone too far.

That afternoon, as the sun set over St. Claire High School, Lucas lingered by the lockers, waiting for Samantha to appear. When she finally did, she walked past him without even a glance.

“Sam,” tawag ni Lucas sa mababang tono.

Bahagyang tumigil sa paglalakad si Samantha pero hindi niya nilingon si Lucas.

“Sorry,” Lucas said, his voice softer than usual. “Totoong sorry ako, Sam. Please. Maniwala ka,” buong pagpapakumbabang dugtong pa nito.

Nanliliit ang matang unti-unti siyang humarap sa gawi ni Lucas. “Do you think ‘sorry’ can fix everything, Lucas?" usig ni Sam dito. "Every time you do something like this, you laugh, and I’m the one left to deal with the humiliation.”

Ibinuka ni Lucas ang kaniyang bibig upang sumagot, ngunit tila hindi niya mahanap ang tamang mga salita. For the first time, Josh Lucas Lizares didn’t have a snarky comeback.

“I hope you’re happy,” Samantha said before walking away, leaving Lucas standing there, the grin finally wiped off his face.

As Samantha headed home, her resolve strengthened. Lucas Lizares might be the king of pranks, she thought, but I’m not going to let him ruin my goals. He’ll see.

Little did she know, Lucas wasn’t going to give up on her -- not yet, not ever. But for now, all he could do was watch her walk away, regretting the one prank he wished he hadn’t pulled.